The Tower Ballroom

The Tower Ballroom

The Tower Ballroom is part of the world famous Blackpool Tower venue. Originally designed in 1894 as the Tower Pavilion, the room has been extended, renovated and changed almost beyond recognition. However, it still maintains that character that can only be Blackpool.

Once opened, the Tower Pavilion was quickly redesigned and enlarged to compete with the Empress Ballroom in the Winter Gardens. It was this second incarnation that brought the amazing architecture, the sprung floor and the sheer awesomeness that is the ballroom today.

The floor measures 120 feet square and is made up of over 30,000 blocks of polished wood. It is sprung, sitting on a cushion of material under the floor that flexes, offering a softer, more pliant dancing surface. It is one of the most significant features of the ballroom, even if you don’t actually see it.

The other major component of The Tower Ballroom is the Wurlitzer. It’s huge and has a resident player, Phil Kelsall who has been playing here since 1975, following a long and illustrious line of organists who have call the ballroom home since opening all those years ago.

No discussion about The Tower Ballroom would be complete without mentioning BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. It has called the ballroom home for a number of years now and has not only catapulted The Tower Ballroom into the public consciousness, but also ballroom dancing too.

The show has singlehandedly made dancing sexy again with its professional dancers and celebrities all performing in this amazing venue. The main thing to take away from Strictly Come Dancing is that with the exception of the professional set pieces, a good night at The Tower Ballroom looks exactly the same. Except without Bruce Forsyth.

You don’t have to dance if you come here either. Afternoon tea is held on the dance floor where you can sit, sip tea, eat cakes and sandwiches and watch people dancing to the Wurlitzer. It’s an enchanting experience that everyone should try at least once when on holiday in Blackpool.

The Tower Ballroom is just one of many attractions in Blackpool, but is definitely one of the most magical. It’s full of character, history and charm and you should definitely try it when you’re here!